These are both great cables. I like Sean's analysis of the situation. Aren't the AU24 substantially more expensive than the Goertz copper line?
As for Dan's question, my own experience many years ago was that it was worthwhile to build an expensive high quality car audio system because of the intimacy of the environment. This seemed to over-ride the issues of road noise and impossibility of imaging. For me, I end up using my time in the car to catch up on radio news or phone calls, so it would not be worthwhile for me, but might for others.
Art |
Mike,
I am not too familiar with the symbilink since i have not installed one before. However, it must be some type of connection with a higher voltage out (line driver) plus the advantage of having the merits of a balanced connection. This is very similar to those Denon units and the recent ones Rockford commissioned Denon to make the rfx8250's . Obviously a design intended to make best of the transmission of delicate low level distance accross a longer lenght, in car audio situations.
Experimentation is still key here> Funny , that installers used to learn a lot from "very adventurous car audio enthusiasts" Who are willing to gamble.
I would like to share another experience though.
IT is called spreading the cost relative to using cables.
If there were no budgetary constraints, I would suggest a throughout interconnect change from, head unit down to the amps, and anything in between; line drivers, crossovers and active eq's. Sometimes , when home audio cables are used, its cost can easily match every other equipment that was installed and the owner would surely not understand and protest. SO this is the option. The most critical part is the last line that goes to the amps. Say if you had a crossover(active), this is where the BEST cable you can get hold on gets into. Then the rest of the budget goes upstream.
From logic, conventional thinking would say, IT defeats the purpose as the upstream cabling is compromised. NO, it is not. Again, I have tried it, and it should work in your case.
Conventional thinking will say: car audio cables are built for the purpose and should be better at screening than home audio cables,NO not again. Cables like Sonic Link Vermillion, transparent link 100, qed qnex2, sonic link pink are better sounding than the best in the catalogue of Phoenix Gold, Esoteric audio or the RFosgte's . ( the acceptable ones (car audio are only stinger).
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guys...nice car setup.. mind if i ask a car audio question ?
current setup:
eclipse balanced head unit 8053 -preamp only and blalanced
dynaudio seperates gt240's
zapco ref 350 mono blocks for front seperates
jl 500/1 for sub amp
image dynamic idq's ( very musical sub )..
here is the question regarding the ic's and the zapco symbalink....
should i run the symbalink ic longer and use a short interconnect from the deck or run a longer interconnect and a short symbilink to the zapco.
youe help would be appreciated.
thank you,
mike
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Here is my car audio system,
1. CD Player, Nacamichi TP-1200 ltd + 100 cdc + 100 dac
2. Speaker, Rainbow Raference 2 way + Velodyne 12" Sub
3. Amp, Zium Z-8100(New model made in Korea and won all Korea IASCA competition 2004)
4. Interconnector, Tara labs The One, Cardas Golden reference, AU 24, Nirvana SX
5. Speaker cable, Furugawa S-1
Thank you, |
I have had experienced actual HOme audio cables installed in a car audio environment and it seems interesting to share what progressed through the sessions. You will be surprised:
1. NOT all cables that are very good in a home audio A/B/A session will find success in car audio. Case example is that we had a Silver audio hyacinth cable which is undoubtably a very good bet than a QED qnex2 in home listening but eventually in a car audio environment was a disappointment.
2.Since most speakers in car audio environment are very near, look for characteristics as a recessed staging for long term listening. NEVER go for supposed FAT robust sounding cables in home environment as surely from experience again, they tend to sound too bloated and cavity resonances are VERY much accentuated...neither does any dampening will help.
3. The best cable I have tested is something that may not be manufactured by now, but look for the Transparent cable THE LINK. not 100 or 200. I emailed transparent awhile back and they said it was not available.
4. For the speaker cabling: we have had success with QED qudos and soniclink AST 50. ALso for kickpanel, you can use DNM reson. I liked DNM best....and the Judges will too...in SQ
5. AMplification? very few that is SQ oriented, look for DLS or the older pre 2000 soundstreams
YES, some home audio amplifiers took a beating when we tested A/B but funny to have recollected when we boasted it to a friend who had a Krell amp, only to humble ourselves to the Krell....WHAT deep soundstaging and that extension...car amps even the best ones cannot accomplish.
6. Head units? nothing touches a Denon DCT Z1 or an A1, not much seen in the US but very common in Japan and Korea.
7. AND YES you can use spikes underneath the amps to clean up the highs...HOW to install without tipping over?... i can email an illustration ...an ingenious technique.
8. Subwoofer? JL audio and KIcker, OZ audio ....not even those VIFA's can accomplish this area.
SPeakers? go to CDT audio as Vifa makes the most non fatiguing sounding of the bunch
9.Subwoofer cabling? the old and trusty AUDIOquest RUBY!
10. How many subs? one 10 will do.
11.Sealed box- no overhang
12. hope the info helps.
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With the RFI, EMI and noise levels that one is going to encounter in a car, i personally can't see spending that kind of money on cabling. If i were to choose between the two, the Audience would probably win out of size, flexibility and convenience. Due to the shape, size and lack of dielectric insulation, the Goertz is more likely to become damaged in such an insulation. Otherwise, i would go with something along the lines of a good but inexpensive "star quad" type cabling. This design is less susceptable to both radiating and picking up stray EM and RF fields, making it more suitable for this type of installation. Then again, that's just my take on the situation and may not be worth too much at all. Sean
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I am the only one who wonders about the usefulness of this comparison for a CAR audio system? |
The Au24's are much smaller gauge. The Au24's have a much higher series resistance. The Au24's have a higher nominal impedance. All of these things add up to a leaner overall sound with more potential for dynamic constriction and smearing. The longer that the speaker cables were, the more discernable these differences would become. That's because the longer length increases the potential for each cables electrical characteristics to influence the sonic signature of the system.
In a system that was already lacking in speed and damping i.e. most vented speaker systems, the leaner presentation of the Au24's may sound more appealing. This would be due to one flawed sonic signature band-aiding or "complimenting" another flawed sonic signature. The end result would be improved system synergy" via three left turns making a right. Kind of the long way to get there with the potential for a lot more variables to occur along the way, but this is the route that most audiophiles take when building their systems.
Having said that, the Au24's are a better cable than most others on the market. Audience paid attention to many of the factors that other cables / cable designers simply take for granted / overlook in their search for profit margins. I could understand someone liking these cables over a wide majority of others, especially if the system leaned towards a slower, less damped, warmer sound. Electrically, they are a pretty solid design. The Goertz is simply a step above the Audience in several different areas of conductivity and performance. That doesn't mean that one would prefer it in their system over the Audience ( or any other cable ). Sean
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As a contrarian, I think you deserve an alternative response. I've owned and used many different kinds of speaker cable, and have done some "non-scientific" listening tests with friends using different speaker cables, and I found the Alpha-Core Goertz MI2 (copper) cables to be excellent. The MI2 cables have a very low impedance, and can cause some interface problems with certain amps (causing frequency oscillation in the amp), but that can be cured with the use of a Zobel circuit on each cable. For more info about Goertz cables, look into the A-gon archives -- there have been several very long threads about them, with some excellent input from our resident guru, Sean.
Rather like the guy who does the Remington shaver ads, I liked the Goertz so much I bought a bi-wired pair and have been extremely pleased with them. I'm not trying to "pimp" the Alpha-Core, but I think you owe it to yourself to audition them. You can get a set of cables from Alpha-Core for a money-back 30-day home trial, which is pretty hard to beat. (I agree that their ads with the woman using cables and interconnects as a halter-top are pretty stupid. The company's products deserve a much more intelligent marketing campaign.) |
The MI2 sounds slow, muddy, and flat compared to the AU24. This was one finding of a listening test I did with several people with 3 diffenent sets of electronics. |
I would suggest the Audience due to performance and being small and easy to install in your vehicle as it is flexible. I have never heard the Alphacore but I find it hard to take a product like it serious when you look at their marketing efforts. I mean putting a half dressed woman who is not even attractive with their wires all over her is just plain silly. I mean, at least make the woman HOT or something. Good Luck!
Chris |
